New Speakers under consideration - but I’m afraid

Fear......fear....is it real.

Especially is you are a member of the "enemy within" crowd. The fear may be very real depending on the outcome of 11/ 5.

On the other hand, achieving sonic bliss is fantastic for an audiophile.

The question is: “Which is stronger, the Carrot or the Stick?”

I agree the KEF LS50s are awesome speakers for the money, which is why they are a stand-out in their price range.  I listen to a pair most days, at my partner's place.

The KEF Reference series are 10 to 30 times as expensive, and in my opinion are even better value!  So obviously I think my Reference 1 speakers are good.  The same coincident tweeter / mid-range unit is used in the Reference range.  The more expensive, the more bass drivers you get, which is not necessarily a good thing for overall coherence.

I have a plan. I'll go listen to some speakers. Make a decision and assuming I like something I'll get them.

I have a buyer for my 801s- I won't hand them over until I get the new ones installed and prefer them after a side by side comparison. If they sound as good or better, I keep them.

Worst case I sell the new ones (I'll try to find them used to avoid the max depreciation hit).